Tasteful line offers style without risk

IN ANY given endeavor, a magic 2 percent of the population always excels, whether in athletics, math, illustration or finding fame and wealth. The number is probably the same when it comes to the art of styling, which goes way beyond merely dressing.

Dressing calls for pulling on pants and yanking a T-shirt over your head before going out, so as not to appear naked in public and risk arrest.

Styling calls for exercising imagination, creativity and aesthetic, artistic and historic sensibilities to conceptualize a look evoking or suiting a particular time, mood, place or state of mind, however warped.

Many people imagine they are stylists simply because they are dexterous enough to put their clothes on in the morning and pull together a few matching accessories.

Ninety-eight percent actually have no clue, and some of them know it. They are the ones for whom the idea of mixing and matching one's wardrobe is a minefield of potential bombs. They know that while they risk looking like clowns by casually throwing a few unmatched pieces together, the magic 2 percent of the population can do the same and turn out looking great.

Nonstylists avoid the clown result by purchasing separates together. One line. One color. Everyday accessories. There's safety in sameness.

THE GOOD NEWS is that Max & Co., which recently opened at Ala Moana Center, has virtually cleared the minefield, making it safe for any would-be stylist to play. Whether your wardrobe consists of vintage, modern classic, ladylike or rock-star pieces, the line offers clothing that will work with whatever you have for a truly no-brainer approach to styling.

"The textures, colors are very wearable, very tasteful. There's nothing over the top, nothing too trendy," said Sherrie Hendizadeh, director of stores, at the recent opening. "It's a contemporary line that's very whimsical. It's meant to fit any kind of lifestyle, with everything from suiting to casual wear.

"There's a lot of details to the clothing, but it's not too trendy, so you can wear it from season to season, picking a few pieces to add to your wardrobe to make it work with what you have and make it look like you just threw it together."

To underscore the practical aspect of the line, Hendizadeh, in town from California, wore a simple jacket paired with a military-style parachute skirt with grommet details from Max & Co.'s Spring/Summer 2006 Collection.

The company is presenting five modules for the season, starting with go-anywhere, do-anything denim, often paired with ladylike sweaters trimmed with velvet ribbon and other separates adorned with lace, tulle, beads and sequins. Elsewhere, the romance of the season is expressed in sinuous wraparound silhouettes, soft volume tops and decorative ruffles and embroidery work, all in light neutral tones accented with touches of peacock and turquoise blue.

THE BOUTIQUE, with price points below Max Mara, is a welcome addition because the Max & Co. line reaches out to an underserved market of 'tweens. Not as in "preteens," but those who straddle the worlds between mass trendiness and conservatism, those too witty and worldly for junior-oriented apparel and too young at heart to settle for drab. It's an approach and attitude that's been warmly received internationally. The boutique, part of the Max Mara Fashion Group, has grown to number 350 in 20 years.

Drawing on the Italian company's classic and sophisticated roots, garments strike a balance between femininity and eclecticism, spontaneity and structure, playfulness and refinement.

Lionel Dulce, visual merchandiser for Max & Co., who was also in town for the opening, said, "What I love about the collection is that there's nothing too thought out, nothing overdone. It's just easy, chic, feminine and modern."

For those who have created a lifestyle out of being seen, Hendizadeh said Max & Co. also practices discretion when it comes to marketing, so you won't have to see YOUR dress or blouse plastered in a thousand places for all the world to know its age and price. After all, a girl's gotta keep some secrets.